Duty from Ashes Read Online Free PDF Page B

her and for her when she’d been court martialed. They’d fought, often at the risk of their own careers, to prove she and the others were innocent of the charges leveled against them. There were no others she’d trust at her back than them. More importantly, she would trust them to care for her son should anything happen to her and her parents. They deserved to know everything, even if it was only speculation.
    “It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that they’ll be moving against others as well. Lt. Liu has made it clear whenever we’ve met to discuss the case that he believes others are involved in Sorkowski and O’Brien’s operation. He’s been able to tie them to the smugglers and pirates operating in the Arcterus Sector. Their bank accounts, the ones they don’t know he’s discovered, show deposits coming from some more than questionable sources. He has no doubts those two were doing more than turning a blind eye to the illegal activities in the sector. Believe me, he wants the ones they were working with almost as much as I do.” She shook her head, a slight smile touching her lips. “I’ll be honest, as much as I want to be there to see them slap the restraints on both Sorkowski and O’Brien, part of me wants to be off-planet when it happens. The media circus that will follow will be a nightmare I’d just as soon not be part of.
    “And along that line, there’s something I didn’t tell Nolan earlier. We are final push mode. I want the battalion ready to move out at a moment’s notice. That means we all have a great deal of work to do.”
    “It’s about time we got our orders,” Adamson said and the others nodded in agreement.
    “Agreed. But it does mean we have a lot to accomplish and probably not much time in which to do it. I want full reviews of our personnel and your final recommendations on our officers and senior non-coms by morning. If we need to rearrange billets or transfer anyone, let’s do it now, before the shit hits the fan.
    “MJ, I want you to put together the PT for morning. Push everyone, especially the officers. If anyone gives you a hard time about it, send them to Lucinda. I’ll step in if necessary. Just remember that I want every person in the battalion ready for battle. That means physically as well as mentally. Any questions?”
    “Negative, ma’am,” Ortega assured her.
    “There’s one more thing I want the three of you to do.”
    “Name it,” Talbot said.
    “While I need to know what the story is where Hines and Brodsky are concerned, we have more pressing matters. If I’m right, we’re going to be shipping out sooner rather than later. I’ve been expecting our orders to come for the last two weeks. Whether we’ll be sent to try to liberate the Cassius System or to the front lines, I don’t know. But I do know we aren’t ready. There are still slots in the battalion that need to be filled. Hell, there are still slots on my staff that need to be filled. I want the three of you to review the headquarters staff. We’ll discuss your recommendations after the briefings.”
    “Understood.” Ortega turned to the others. “I’ll go have a chat with Santiago when we finish here. Kevin, you talk to the team and let them know the major has things well in hand and will brief them later. MJ—“
    “I know some folks who have had the pleasure of dealing with Hines. I’ll reach out to them,” Adamson commented.
    “Good.” Another knot of tension eased and Ash smiled slightly. Her companions would get the job done, just as they always did. “Now get out of here and get busy. I have a feeling the brass is going to put us through the wringer just as we’re going to be putting the battalion through it come morning.”
    She watched the others leave her office. As the door closed behind them, she leaned back and lifted her booted feet onto the edge of her desk. She was still angry about what happened that morning but the anger no longer consumed her. Now she